Written Answers Tuesday 11 August 2009

Scottish Executive

Early Years

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities it has assisted in developing an effective play strategy to increase the range of quality play opportunities for children and young people.

Adam Ingram: Through the single outcome agreement process, local authorities and community planning partners are responsible for securing improved outcomes for children in their local areas, where necessary realigning existing resources to support the early years framework and priorities such as play. This may include developing their own local play strategy.

Employment

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives have been introduced to provide skills training to 16 to18-year-olds in the last 12 months.

Fiona Hyslop: We announced on 13 May 2009 that we would be piloting Activity Agreement in ten local authority areas. This intervention is designed to enable young people to undertake informal learning which will help them to become ready for formal learning or employment. The pilot areas are Glasgow, Stirling, Highland, Fife, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.

  Additionally, the national training programmes offered by Skills Development Scotland continue to provide skills training for this age group. The national training programmes include Modern Apprenticeships, Skillseekers and Get Ready for Work.

  The Modern Apprenticeship/Skillseekers programme provides skills training for 16-18 year olds in a number of areas. The focus of this intervention is on offering skills training for specific employment sectors.

  The Get Ready for Work programme was introduced in April 2002, to provide a national work based training framework for 16-19 year olds who require tailored support in order to access employment. The focus of this intervention is on offering generic work skills rather than training for specific employment sectors and is tailored to meet the needs of the individual and reflect local economic drivers.

  Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives have been introduced to provide employment assistance to 18 to 25-year-olds in the last 12 months.

Fiona Hyslop: In 2008, 13 Community Planning Partnerships were awarded £38.6 million in European Social Fund (ESF) and £11.2 million in European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grants to support more people in target areas to move towards and into sustained employment over the two years to 2010.

  In April this year, the eligibility rules for Training for Work (TfW), the Scottish Government’s vocational skills programme for the unemployed, were changed to allow access to the programme when people reach the three month unemployed stage – previously they had to wait for six months. Lone parents, those with disabilities and those recently made redundant are among specific groups who already have immediate access to the programme.

  An additional 3,150 TfW training places will be available in the coming year following an award of almost £3 million ESF money in June of this year.

  Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives have been introduced in the east end of Glasgow to provide employment assistance to 18 to 25-year-olds in the last 12 months.

Fiona Hyslop: In 2008, Glasgow’s Community Planning Partnership was awarded £7.3 million in European Social Fund (ESF) and £1.1 million in European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grants to support more people in the city’s most deprived areas, to move towards and into sustained employment over the two years to 2010.

  In April this year, the eligibility rules for Training for Work (TfW), the Scottish Government’s vocational skills programme for the unemployed, were changed to allow access to the programme when people reach the three month unemployed stage – previously they had to wait for six months. Lone parents, those with disabilities and those recently made redundant are among specific groups who already have immediate access to the programme.

  An additional 3,150 TfW training places will be available in the coming year following an award of almost £3 million ESF money in June of this year.

Forth Crossing

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the code of construction practice for the Forth Replacement Crossing project will be published.

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation will be undertaken on the code of construction practice for the Forth Replacement Crossing project.

Stewart Stevenson: The code of construction practice for the Forth Replacement Crossing project will be published later this year to coincide with the introduction of the Bill to Parliament. Initial consultation on the construction compounds and approach to construction took place with residents and community councils through briefings in June and July. A draft of the code of construction practice was issued on 3 August for consultation to the relevant statutory consultees, local authorities and community councils, and copies have been sent to interested MSPs for information.

Gaelic

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the Glasgow Gaelic School (Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu) for a share of the capital allocation funds for Gaelic medium education.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will reply to Glasgow City Council regarding its bid for Gaelic medium education funding.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make a decision about the allocation of Gaelic medium education funding.

Michael Russell: During this year the Scottish Government has received bids for funding from the Gaelic School capital fund from Highland Council, Glasgow City Council and Argyll and Bute Council. On 3 August the First Minister announced that an additional £800,000 would be committed to the fund, increasing the amount available this year to £2.15 million. I am currently considering how awards from the fund should be allocated, and all applicants will be formally notified of my decision later this summer.

Sport

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussion ministers have had with football and broadcasting authorities regarding the televising of Scottish Premier League matches following the demise of Setanta in the United Kingdom given the potential impact on jobs in Scotland.

Michael Russell: The First Minister, the Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution and the Minister for Public Health and Sport have all spoken to relevant football and broadcasting organisations on several occasions to discuss the implications of Setanta Sports going into administration.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Calman Commission

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S3W-25373 by Alex Fergusson on 16 July 2009, whether it will provide further breakdowns of the costs to it of the Calman Commission on Scottish Devolution

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25373 by Alex Fergusson on 16 July 2009, from which budgets the costs to it of the Calman Commission on Scottish Devolution were met.

Alex Fergusson: The breakdown of costs to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body of the Calman Commission on Scottish Devolution are as follows: the secondment of a clerk team leader for 14 months - £84,500; official reports of evidence sessions – £17,181; events team (ushers, catering etc) - £4943; broadcasting – £3078, Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre - £4891. The costs were met from the respective office budgets.